Feeler mechanism for looms



March 2 1926.

H. A. DAVIS FEELER MECHANISM FOR LQOMS Filed March 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A T TOR/V5 Y March 2 1926. 1,575,550

' FL A.IJA\"S FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed March 20, 1925 2 Sheer,s. eet 2 f; (n v 11 f L) Q l) H [q I I I 3 M Q1 g D (u \1' q t I I w A Q U m I I I I a [q v m w I I I 'BYQ E ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

uNiTEosTATEs HARRY A. DAVIS, 0F HOPEDALE, MASSACH'L TSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'TO DRAPER CORPORA- TION, OF HOPEDA'L E,MASSACHUSETTS, .A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

FEELER MECHANISM FOR .Application filed March 20, i925. Serial No. 17,047.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hopedale, in the county of \Vorcester and State of lvlassachusetts have invented an Improvement in Feeler Mechanisms for Looms, of which the following. description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is aspecii'ication, likecharacters on the drawings representing like'parts.

This invention relates to feeler mechanisms i or looms,- and more particularly :tointermittent feeler mechanisms wherein the feeler has periods of activity and inactivity during weaving with the same supply of filling in the shuttle.

In feeler mechanisms of this general type,

the feeler is held in a frontward position during its periods of inactivity and released at intervals to its periods of activity, and should the feeler during a period of activity find a working supply of filling in the shuttle on a detecting beat it is returned into control of means folholding the feeler in its irontward position during a subsequent period of inactivity. When the feeleris moved irontwardly by a working supply of filling during a period of activity it will sometimes fail to engage the means or detent for holding it in its frontward inactive I position, and at such times should the said means or detent be moved further frontward, the feeler wlll, on subsequent detectfing beats, remain in action and not be re l turned to its position. of inactivity, with the result that the constant recurring contacts of the teller with the filling during such period of activity is liable to injure the filling.

One of the objects of the present'invention is to provide a feeler mechanism of the intermittent or suspended actuation type, wherein the means for controlling the active and inactive periods of the teeler is constituted by two independent mechanisms which act successively at times to release the feeler and after a predetermined number of detecting beats to withdraw or move the feeler frontwardly beyond the reach of the filling. i

Ai'iother important feature of the invention consists in means for varying the intervals between the successive action of the two controlling mechanisms, so that the feeler may remain active for two or more detecting beats or until it has-been engaged by the teeler holding means or detent, and then be moved frontwardly beyond the reach of the filling. This feature of the invention enables the. feeler controlling mechanisms to be so related as to their respective intervalsof operation as to insure that betore'the feeler holding means or detent is moved frontwardly the feeler shall beengagedthereby.

The above features of the present inven-v with the present invention, the feeler being.

in its withdrawn position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail showing portions of the feeler mechanism, some of the parts being shown in section; and

Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the successive action otthe 'feeler controliing mechanism and the devices whereby. such successive action is attained. a

The feeler mechanism of the present invention may be utilized to-change the operation of the loom on the detection of substantial exhaustion of the filling in the shuttle, and such change in the operation of the loom in the present illustration is shown as PATENT OFFICE.

efi'ecting replenishment of filling, which,

may be brought about either by changing the filling carrier in the shuttle or by chang ing the shuttle itself. The filling replenishing mechanism is not herein shown and described, because the details thereof form no part of the present inventionand may be of any usual or desiredcharacter.

The two feeler controlling mechanisms which formv a feature of the present invention are herein shown as operated from parts connected with the takeaip, and such operation of the two mechanisms is pre ferred although such. mechanisms may be operated from any going part of theloom. The loom frame 1 may be of anyusual or desired character and it has mounted in suitable bearings 2, as shown, the usual transverse or rock shaft 3' which has secured to it an upstanding .arm 4: to which .is pivotally connected at 5 the actuator 6, the rearend portion of which is provided with a pivoted vmember 7 GOllIlGOtGCl-tOzthB:LCtUittOl bythei pivot 8. Thereariend portion ofthe member 7 is adapted to be-engaged at times by a cam follower 9 or a part actuated thereby,

and under such conditions the actuator 6 will be moved frontwardly and effect. a change in the loom operation, such as replenishing the filling, as now wellnnderstood inthe art.

,Pivotally mounted at 10 upon a support 11 conveniently secured to,the shipper stand 12 is a bell crank lever, one arm'18 of which underlies a finger 14 secured to the member 7. The other arm 15of the bell crank or other lever is connected to a transmitter 16 secured to a slide 17 which is under thecontrol of-the feeler. T

The feeler stand 18 is aidjustably connected to theshipper stand by a bolt 19, and at its rear portion the feeler stand 18.has 'a guideway 20 for the'slide 17, through which the feeler 211extends. "The frontwardly extending stem portion 22 of-the' feeler passes through a bearing 23 at' the front of the "feeler' stand, and between the bearing 23 and the bridge or support 24,.secured to the feeler,- is a spring 25 normally tending to 'move the feeler into rearward feeling position. The parts so far described are or may,

be substantially the same. as shown and described in the patent to'Edward S. Stiinpson', No; 1,309,226, July. 8, 1919,and need no furtherdescription. I

,The lay-26 may be of usual type, provided with ashuttle box- 27, thefront wall of which has an opening 28 which registers with a similar opening 29 in the frontwall of theshuttle 30 'whenithe latter is'in the detecting box,--'the construction being such that ,on a detecting beat; the feeler 21 may i enter theshuttle 30 and feel for'the filling therein. The construction last described is likewise shown in'the Stimpson patent referred to.

Mounted adjacent to the feeler stand 18 is a support or bracket on which certain parts of thefeeler mechanism to be described are mounted. As shown in the present instance of the invention, such support comprises a bracket, the frontwall of which extends transversely of the'feeler stand 18 as at 31, and the sideportion 32 'ofwhich extends along the side of the feeler stand, and is rovided with an overhang or flange-33 liaving openings for bolts 34 by which the bracket may be secured to-the feeler stand or other convenient'support. The bracket just described may be conveniently mounted up- 5 on the feeler stand for adjustment bymeans of a thumbscrew 35, but this may not always be necessary.

Pivotally mounted by a vertical axis 36 011 the part '31 of the. bracket is a detent carrier 37 which consequently'has a'swinging movement towards and from the front of the loom, and is normally. underthe infiuence of a spring 38 interposed between the carrier 87 and a projection 39 of the bracket, tend- ;ingto. swing the detent carrier into a rearward position.

' 1 Pivotally-mounted on the detent carrier 37 at 40 is the detent 41, the pivotal mounting of the detent on the carrier being-such that the detent-moves about-the horizontal axis. In the constructionshown,*the detent carrier 87 has the slot or opening42 in which the detent-may have its pivotal movement,

one end of'the detent, as indicated inFig.

:3, beingnormally undertheinfluence-of a spring 4t3 tending to-move the detent into its'feeler engaging position. -The frontwardly extending -stein -22 of. the feeler is pr'ovidectwith a collar or shoulder 44, as shown in Fig; 2, rearwardly of which the active end of the detent 41 is adapted to en gage when the feeler is moved frontwardly by a Working supply of filling in the shuttle on a detecting beat.

The present-invention contemplates that .when the feeler has been released to aperiod of activity and is moved frontwardly by a working supply offilling in'the shuttlethat the detent'tl shall engage rearwardly ofthe projection'or collar 441011 the feeler and prevent rearward movementthereof, and that when so engaged, the detent carrier 37 shall be moved frontwardly. to withdraw the feeler to a'further frontward position-out of reach of the filling on detecting beats, and

that when so moved frontwardly the detent carrier will be held in its feeler holding position by a catch or latch, until when the feeler is tripped to its period of activity, the latch will also be tripped to permit the feeler carrier to respond to the demands of the spring 38 and move rearwardly for re-engagement 'Wlth' the vfeeler when the latter ls itgalll moved frontwardly by a working supply of filling.

In accordance with the present invention, means is provided for moving the detent carrier 37 frontwardly about is vertical axis '36 when'the feeler has been engaged by the but movable, aswill hereinafter be de- I is scribed, to its dotted line position, Fig. 2,

to move the detent carrier frontwardly.

Pivotallymounted at 4-9 on the bracket 32 is a latch 50 having a shoulder 51 which is adaptedtoengage rearwardly of the detent carrier 37 when-the detent carrier is moved to its frontward positioinand over lying the detent is a projection 52011 the latch, such that should the detent be moved on the detent carrier to effect release ofthe latch with the detent carrier, but a separate spring may be employed for this purpose if desired. I

The detent carrier has an enlarged portion 53 into which extends the sheathed wire 54, the end of the wire normally resting' against the under portiontot the inactive end of the detent, the construction being i such that should the flexible wire be moved longitudinallyin its sheath 55, the detent will be actuated to release the feeler and also disengage the latch from the detent carrier, whereuponthe detent carrier will be moved rearwardly by the spring 88.

Thebracket 32, as shown, is provided with an enlargement 56 into an opening of which extends the sheathed wire 57 which normally bears on the under side of the active end of the arm L6, Fig. 2, the construction being such that should the sheathed wire 57 be moved longitudinally in its sheath 58, the arm 4-6 will be moved from its full to its dotted lineposition, Fig. 2, to thereby act upon the cam 45 and move the detent carrier and detent trontwardly, whereupon the latch 50 will engage rearwardly of the detent carrier and hold it in itsfrontward position, while the projection 52, of the latch will overlie the inactive, end of the detent From themechanism thus far described it will be apparent that the "present construcl tion provides two independent controlling mechanismsfor the feeler, one to periodically release the feeler to its periods of activity, and the other to move the 'feeler frontwardly when, following its release, it is moved frontwardly by a working supply of filling in the shuttle on a detecting beat and engaged with the detent.

Under some conditionsin loom operation, the feeler may fail to be engaged by the detent when during its active period it is moved frontwardly on a detecting beat, and at such times of non-engagement of the detent with the 'feeler, should the detent carrier be moved frontwardly, the feeler will remain active. The two controller mechanisms of the feeler, therefore, are arranged for actuation independently from a going part of the 100111 and are contrived to act in desired succession, first, to release thet'eeler to its periods of activity, and then after a predetermined.number of detecting beats when the teeler has beenengaged by the detent, to move the 'leeler frontwardly beyond the reach of the filling. As shown in the present instance, such independent control of the 'fceler is actuated from the take-up, but the same results may be secured from any other going part of the loom.

The take-up mechanism may be of any usual type, and as shown, consistsot-the pick wheel 59 and a train of transmission gearing 60, 61, 62 and 63, extending to the usual take-up or sand roll. The pick wheel 59, in the present instance, is shown as provided' with separate actuators for each of the sheathed wires 54 and 57, the ends of which :are supported in suitable recesses in a bracket or plate 64 secured to the loom frame. The bracket 64 :isprovided with a stud 65 on which is pivotally supported the rocker 66 for moving the sheathed wire 54;, and theindependent rocker 67 for mov ing the sheathed wire 57. Mounted on or secured to the pick wheel 59 is a plate 68 having an actuator or lug 69 for actuating the rocker66 as the pick wheel is rotated step by step. The actuation of the rocker 66 trips the detent from the feeler and rel'iereinbeiore described.

The'plate 68 may be secured to the pick wheel in any approved manner as by the bolt 69, as indicated in Fig. 4. Secured to or mounted on the pick wheel 59 is a second plate '70 havinga lug or actuator 71 to act upon the rocker :67 which effects movement of leases the latch from the detent carrier, as

the sheathed wire 57, as herein before de scribed, to swing or movethe detent carrier through the arm 46 into a frontward position. It will be noted that the lugs or actuators-69 and 71 are arranged to act successively, first upon the wire 54 to release the ieeler' and trip the latch, and after a predetermined number of picks .tothen act upon the wire 57 to move the detent carrier and detent to a frontward position when the feeler has been engaged by the detent. Obviously, the actuators 69 and '71 may be adjusted relatively to thereby determine the interval that shall elapse between the movement of the feeler to active position andthe subsequent IDOVQHIUIlhOf the do tent carrier to frontward position. Thus, should the feeler fail to engage the detent on the first-detecting beat during any active be moved frontwardly a number of times to insure its engagement by the detent. This 1s an'unp'ortant teature of the present invencombination of a feeler, two independently operating mechanisms for controlling the active and inactive periods of the i'eeler, means actuated by a part of the driving mechanism for the take-up for operating said mechanisms in succession, and means for "arying relatively the interval between the successive operations of said mechanisms.

11. In a fceler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler, a detent carrier mounted for swinging movement about a vertical axis, a detent mounted on the detent carrier for movement about a horizontal axis to engage and release the feeler, a latch for holding the detent carrier 111 a frontward posltion, anda trip for freeing the detent from the ieeler and the latch from holding 7 engagement With the detent carrier.

12. A feeler mechanism for looms, comprising, in combination, a feeleiya detent carrier mounted for movement about a vertical axis at one side of the feeler, alatch for holding the detent carrier in a front- Ward position, a detent mounted on the detent carrier, a trip for freeing the feeler from the detent at intervals and for tripping the latch, and means for swinging the detent carrier frontwardly after the feeler has been engaged by the detent.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HARRY A. DAVIS. 

